THE town of Sual is drastically reducing its more than 1,000 floating fish cages number to make milkfish production more economically sustainable and prevent massive pollution of Cabalitian Bay.

Mayor Liseldo Calugay had already ordered operators of more than 400 fish cages to remove their structures on or before the end of this year as an initial step to resuscitate Cabalitian Bay in the western sector of the Lingayen Gulf.

The initial targeted fish cages are located outside the town’s mariculture zone park (MZP), which was designated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) as an ideal location for this type of fish contraption.

An inventory showed the MZP which can only sustain the operations of 750 fish cages is already cramped with more than 1,000 fish cages owned by businessmen and corporations.

According to Calugay, these fish cages were tolerated by the former municipal administration after paying their respective mayor’s permit in violation of the Municipal Fishery Ordinance.

He said the municipal government will demolish the fish cages that will remain in the area by end of December.

He said arriving at the decision to reduce the number of floating fish cages in Sual Bay was difficult but it had to be done to save the Cabalitian Bay from environmental degradation.

In past weeks, several cargo of rotting bangus intercepted by the police in Dagupan City and Labrador were reported to have come from some of the fish cages in Sual.

Calugay said the Sangguniang Bayan headed by Vice Mayor Doniel Caburao, is in the process of reviewing and updating the Municipal Fisheries Code of the town to ensure that only the best practices in aquaculture farming will be observed. (Leonardo Micua)

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